every year there had been caught not less than half of the spawning school and that year classes of 

 medium strength had been caught over 2-3 years, and numerically weak year classes over 1-2 

 years . 



TABLE 3. THE INDIVIDUAL FECUNDITY OF THE SMALL KANDALAKSHA 



HERRING OF THE 1948 YEAR CLASS ACCORDING TO THE DATA 

 OF A. P. VILSON(IN THOUSANDS). 



In the spring of 1955, at the end of April and the beginning of May, great numbers of small 

 herring 9 to 12 centimetres long and 11 to 15 grammes in wei^t began to appear in Kandalaksha 

 Gulf. 



Biological analysis of the 25 centners of herring caught on the 11th May in Kolvitsa Inlet 

 showed that 90% of the catch consisted of young Kandalaksha herring two full years old. 



The appearance in spring catches of two-year-old herring entitles us to assiune that the 

 1953 year class is an exceedingly numerous one. This year class had partially matured by spring 

 1955 inasmuch as sexually mature individuals were all male. When it is three full years old and 

 after, this year class will have reached full sexual maturity and in 1956-1958 will be the object of 

 the fishery. 



Thus the interdiction of spring catches is bound to protect the 1953 year class from pre- 

 mature catching and to give it the opportunity for unimpeded spawning. 



In our opinion, the re -organization of the herring fishery in the White Sea must, principally, 

 proceed in two directions: 



1) the conservation of the ability of the species to reproduce itself, and 



2) the best and most economically profitable fishing of the stock. 



The first may be attained by the limiting of the fishery in the spawning period; the second 

 by prohibiting the catching of the young and by fishing the older White Sea herring. 



The use of the older age groups in the fishery is of great Importance not only in connection 

 with Kandalaksha herring but also for all other small White Sea herring. In particular, it will pre- 

 vent the catching of the young of the herring in Dvlna Gulf and will enable us to use this herring at 

 3 and 3+ years of age . 



The catching of older age groups will enable us to increase the yield of White Sea herring 

 even If their number remains the same. 



For the organization of a rational fishery, the following are essential: constant observations 

 of the condition of the herring spawning grounds; their biological amelioration; and the conserv- 

 ation of the vegetation which forms the substratum for the depositing and the development of the 

 eggs of the White Sea herring . 



280 



